The Adventure Has Been Chosen

One of my favorite celebrities is Wil Wheaton.  He's had his career highlights.  Movies, regular on a television show, guest star on another show, host of his own clip series, host of his own YouTube series.  His face has graced more than a couple teen magazines.  Fans are able to easily follow him as he has grasped the advantages of social media.  Above all, he has remained humbly human, sharing things he enjoys as well as personal struggles.

On Monday Wil took to Twitch.tv for a rare broadcast.  Live to Internet viewers, he read a Choose Your Own Adventure book from the 80s.  He let the viewers direct the story by voting in the chat room when it came time to make a decision.  He would then read as the story continued and laugh at many of the jokes made in the chat room.  It was was a joy to both watch and take part in.

In the second story he read, we were a race car driver.  The decision was made to participate in an off-road race.  The route followed took us and our mechanic through a poor refugee camp.  Ultimately, we finished the race in fourth place after promising ourselves we would return to the refugee camp to help.  

Wil Wheaton then suggested someone should write up what happened after the race.  How some of the characters celebrated.  So here, today, is my wrap up to "The Race Forever."

You and Eduardo whoop it up as you climb out of your Land Rover.  Fourth place was no major win, but you had survived.  The two of you even managed to avoid damaging the hastily repaired axle any further.  The prize money, even for fourth, was still enough for a month-long party in whatever port you may want to visit.  First, you had a promise to keep.  It was a promise to yourself, but still one very important to follow through with.

You locate the nearest bazaar and start putting in orders.  Fortunately, you found a friendly caravan leader who agreed to transport your purchases.  This way, you wouldn't be damaging any more vehicles on large rocks.  Before long you are standing outside the bazaar, looking down a line of camels loaded with food, blankets, tents, and other items.

The caravan moves as a single line to the refugee camp.  Just like during the race, the worn out souls soon crowd around you, making movement nearly impossible.  However, this time you have more to offer them than the exhaust from your Land Rover.

At a barked command, the camels kneel down on the ground and workers start unloading wrapped packages.  You help others nudge the refugees out of the way and start setting up improvised tables.  The weak individuals finally make room and just watch, dumbfounded, as trays of food are placed on the tables.

You stand on the rock that damaged your axle earlier and look out on the tired faces of the refugees.  Your voice carries out over their heads, "Times for you have been rough.  You are a people without a home.  Still, you come together and help each other as much as you can, giving what little you have of your own."

Looking at the faces now staring up at you, you recognize the family you encountered earlier.  The man that had disappeared after diving in front of your Land Rover, the child he had been carrying, and the woman he handed the child to.  They are huddled together at the edge of the crowd.  Locking eyes with the man, you continue speaking.

"Had I won First Place, the prize money would have been enough for more permanent housing.  As it is, enjoy this feast and may these tents provide enough shelter for the time being."

The man nods at you.  You nod back and step off he rock.  You walk over to the improvised tables and sit down next to Eduardo.  As you grab a small loaf of bread, the refugees begin sitting down and filling their plates.  You smile inside and out as you realize how a few critical choices led you to this feast for those that had so little hope left.

Wil Wheaton's recording can be found here.  It includes a log of the chat so you can see how the votes go and enjoy the conversation as much as he does.  If you enjoy it, go ahead and subscribe to his channel.  I am truly hoping more videos like this are made.  There are a lot more Choose Your Own Adventure books to share. 

If you watch the video, what decisions would you have made differently?  How would you tell the story of what happened afterwards?

Story Time

I have had children of my own for almost a decade and a half.  I was a child myself for a large number of years.  Ask my wife, and she'd say I'm still rather childish.  Knowing all of this, it's surprising that I haven't written a children's story until now.  Honestly, the thought of attempting one has never entered my mind.

During a chilly morning walk to school with my sons, one of them started singing a silly song he had recently learned.  There were no specific lyrics, just a list of animals and matching hand gestures.  The end of the song is punctuated by a slightly unexpected animal.  Now, how to turn this in to a story.....?

Word had spread.  All the animals of the forest had heard.  There was to be a large party.  There would be good food.  There would be dancing.  There would be fun with friends.  It would be a good night for all the animals invited.

Mr. and Mrs. Raccoon had decorated the glade with ribbons.  Lights of all colors hang from the branches.  Mr. Rabbit had cooked his favorite vegetables.  Mrs. Bear made a salad mixed with bright berries.  Mr. Cat caught enough fish for everyone to enjoy.  There would be a lot to eat.

The Beaver family brought their drums.  The Canary sisters had been practicing new songs for a week.  The Duck brothers had their trumpets and Fred Frog was an expert with the guitar.  Music would flow like a breeze between the leaves.

The party started and all the animals started having fun.  There was dancing.  There was good music.  There was beautiful singing and laughter.  Every animal at the party was enjoying the night.

It suddenly went silent.  The singing stopped.  The drummers stopped drumming and the horn players stopped blowing.  Everyone looked in the same direction.  They all stared at one animal that just arrived.  Nobody expected him to be at the party.  Nobody expected him to bring snacks.  Nobody ever expected Squirrel.

Who would you invite to an animal party?  What do you think they would bring?

Huh? What now?

Stories can come from anywhere at any time.  The same could be said about superheroes.

My youngest son once asked me to write a blog post about a character he was to create.  I told him I would do it under one condition.  He had to come up with a character with a decent backstory.  Then I would write the rest.

So here it is, How The Heck Did I Become A Superhero Man.

It is an average day in an average city.  Average men and women walk up and down the sidewalks going to and from work and home.  Nothing in particular causes this day to stand out from any other day.  That is, if an observer ignores the open door standing in the middle of the sidewalk.  The flow of people part around it like a stream separates around a bridge support.  A view from above would see the foot traffic around the door appears like a cat's eye with the door being the vertical slit of a pupil.

Everyone seems to do it unconciously.  They don't slow down or stop and change direction.  Conversations and cell phone calls continue on uninterrupted.  Nobody seems to notice the open door standing by itself as they pass it by.

This continues until one of the average, typical office workers walks away from the path of the others.  He crosses the middle of the "eye" and glances up from intently staring at his cell phone as his steps take him through the mysterious doorway.

For a moment, a sensation passes through his body.  From head to toe, his whole body gets a tingle similar to his hand falling asleep.  He stops.  He stands there motionless as the flow of human traffic continues to pass him by.  He moves only to turn around after hearing the door shut behind him.  Without knowing why, he picks up the door and carries it down the sidewalk in the direction of his home.

Weeks have passed.  The man that had passed through the door now spends his days working with the other average employees in the office.  During the nights, he explores his new abilities.  One of which seems to be no longer needing to sleep.  He seems to be able to run long distances without becoming tired.  He can lift extreme weights.  He is even able to hold is breath for extremely long times.  Powers and abilities he uses rarely, only when an incident happens right before him.  He doesn't seek out justice or an end to all crime.  At least, not yet.

All of this from simply walking through the door that now stands alone in the middle of his living room.  A door that hasn't opened since that fateful day so many weeks ago.  The entire time a question lurks in his mind.  A question that is the basis for his "super" identity for the time being.  How-The-Heck-Did-I-Become-A-Superhero-Man.  A clumsy title, he admits.  However, a symbol with a simple question mark had been taken by a comic villain.  He also didn't feel that wearing a suit with a door on his chest carried the right impact.

It always amazes me the things that come from the mind of a child.

Who do you think the archnemesis of this hero would be?  Where would that villain get their powers?